


Skateboards and Paperbacks

by ice_cream_assassin



Series: californication [1]
Category: Political RPF - UK 20th-21st c.
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-01
Updated: 2012-10-01
Packaged: 2017-11-15 14:46:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/528430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ice_cream_assassin/pseuds/ice_cream_assassin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for this prompt at the meme: </p><p>"Now that he isn't busy getting underfoot of civil servants, Steve has bought a new skateboard. "</p>
            </blockquote>





	Skateboards and Paperbacks

Power is a strange thing and at times he could barely recognize any of them. Osborne was always a bit of a prat, but David, Steve isn't sure he knows who David is any more. 

Steve is not sure he ever expected a different reaction to his departure. How the times have changed, once he received Christmas carols and now, well Steve is certain that he’s worth more than passing shrugs, rude dismissals, and vicious, bitter press briefings as he exits the scene for his self-imposed exile. 

Ro walks out of Downing Street with him one last time. He hands over a well loved paperback from his library. The cover is faded with a few rips and the pages have creases in the corners from Ro folding to mark his place.

“I underlined the passages that I think you’ll like. If you just want to skim it.” Ro’s self-confidence evaporates, trying to explain why he is gifting a book to Steve. Steve thanks him, feeling just lucky with a twinge of something else. He has something of Rohan’s to keep with him. 

++

Steve stuffs the suitcase into the cab's boot. He looks around the street, taking in the familiar overcast sky. He reassures Rachel that he is ready for this next chapter in their lives. He isn't really, not ready to give up on David, not ready to be resigned to just a visiting scholar. He doesn't want Rachel to know. She's excited and bursting at the seams that he is returning to the lackadaisical California lifestyle with her. Steve doesn't want to disappoint his wife.

The backseat of the cab feels much smaller. Rachel's thigh remains pressed against his for the trip to Heathrow. The contact is comforting and Rachel keeps the conversation flowing about how they are going to have the free time to take in the art scene and talking about the differences between London and Palo Alto. It isn't like they haven't done this before, Steve thinks. 

"It will be better than the last time. David won't be demanding you to be at his beck and call." She falls silent for a moment. Rachel shifts, her head resting briefly against Steve's shoulder. "We're going to be so much happier."

He listens to the low rumble of the cab's engine, and places a barely there kiss to Rachel's forehead. He wishes Rachel's optimism was infectious. He's not even on the plane yet and there is barely a trace of him remaining in Whitehall. 

++

Fall semester is still months away and he is bored. It only took him a day to unpack his clothes and the traces of his previous life. The paperback from Ro remains out on the night stand, unread. Rachel had already found the place, since she previously had to divide her time between California and the UK. He thinks it looks like those picture perfect houses that are shown in movies. 

He is in love with the kitchen though with its cool granite counter tops and matching Labour red appliances that make Steve smile. He cooks, perfecting his goulash recipe, and contemplates about blowing off the teaching gig at Stanford and opening that Hungarian restaurant he’s often dreamed about. 

David doesn’t respond to text messages. The messages aren’t even about politics. Steve takes his frustrations out on his legs, running and trying not to feel the loss of a twenty year friendship. At first, he was able to maintain some connection to England through Michael and Rohan, but now the emails and occasional Skype sessions are becoming uncomfortable, reminding Steve that these friendships are failing too. 

++

In July, the feelings of loneliness catch up with Steve. The running just isn’t enough. On a whim, he buys a skateboard with a green pattern and blue wheels. Rachel is livid and blames it on him having a midlife crisis. But it isn’t that. The skateboard has to symbolize something else; perhaps his quick successes and the risks not considered. 

He joins a local skate group at Stanford and the members are patient enough to help him learn how to ride. It takes several attempts getting the stance down and finding his balance on the board. He lends his phone to one of the members, asking him to shoot some video of his first attempt to ride the board. 

He gingerly puts his foot down, kicking a little and then more to gain momentum. Steve’s arms flail and his knees feel awkwardly bent. Steve knows he isn’t graceful and his facial expression is too serious. He probably looks too old and very ridiculous; but the feeling is awesome. He and the board are moving forward. Everything is going well, until Steve shifts his weight. He oversteps on the back, flipping the skateboard and falling on his arse. 

The college kid with his phone rushes to see if Steve is okay. Steve can’t help laughing into the lens on his phone. He’s sprawled out on the cool concrete and his backside is going to be sore and bruised, but this is the best that he has felt in months.

++

It was stupid, attempting the ollie with his minimal experience. Rachel is giving him the “I told you so” look as she hands over the paperback she brought with her. His left arm is in a sling and the doctors want to keep him overnight, just in case the helmet didn’t protect him as well as it should have. 

When Rachel is kicked out due to visiting hours being over he looks at the book she brought. It is the one Ro gave him when he left. He tries to read it, thinking about his former co-worker, wondering what Ro is doing. Does he even watch the skateboarding videos Steve emails him? Does Ro still even read emails from him? 

When he finally falls into a pain-pill induced sleep, his dreams are filled with skateboards, a shy, besuited, slightly out of place Rohan, and tattered paperbacks with paragraphs underlined.


End file.
